Writing for Mystic Activists May 24, 2019 By Collegeville Institute Leave a Comment 2019 Writing for Mystic Activists workshop participants (Left to Right, Front Row): leea allen, Chanequa Walker-Barnes (workshop facilitator), Lyndsey Medford, Fatimah Salleh, Karen González, and Alexis Carter. (Second Row): Leslie Copeland Tune, Byron McMillan, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove (workshop facilitator), Micky ScottBey Jones, and Nekeisha Alayna Alexis. (Back Row): Nicholas Tangen, Brandon Wrencher, and Marty Troyer. From May 14-20, the Collegeville Institute held its first 2019 regional writing workshop at the historic Franklinton Center at Bricks, North Carolina in partnership with School for Conversion. The workshop titled Writing for Mystic Activists was led by Chanequa Walker-Barnes and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and invited twelve faith leaders and activists to explore writing as a contemplative practice. Participants had the opportunity to connect with a long tradition of resistance writers, develop their craft, and build community with others who experience a similar vocation. One participant remarked that the group “seemed to gel and offer particular passions and voices of movements that they are a part of. I feel that the Spirit gifted us with the people who needed to be present and energized us in our work. I came for the writing time and space, to learn more from Chanequa and Jonathan, but the other writers were remarkable and I learned so much from them too.” When asked to reflect on the workshop, one participant wrote: “Writers need each other. Mystic activists need each other. People of Color need each other. And all three are prone to forget that or fail to take care of themselves. Please keep this workshop going.” Read a personal reflection by participant Nicholas Tangen about his experience at the workshop » Like this post? Subscribe to have new posts sent to you by email the same day they are posted.
